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Jos Buttler: Why the returning vice-captain has been England's REAL star of the summer

Jos Buttler has been England's real star of the summer (Image: GETTY)

OTHER players, notably Ben Stokes, Alastair Cook and James Anderson, have dominated the narrative of England’s Test summer. Yet it is Jos Buttler who has been the quiet success story after coming back following almost three years out of the team.

Ed Smith staked his reputation on recalling Buttler in his first act as the new chief selector back in May. And he has been repaid handsomely as the 28-year-old, pigeon-holed as a white-ball specialist under the previous selection regime, hit 510 runs at an average 46.36 across seven Tests against Pakistan and India.

And Buttler has not only produced with the bat but risen to the challenge of the Test vice-captaincy after being installed as skipper Joe Root’s right-hand man. It’s no coincidence England have won this series against India so convincingly.

Smith took a chance on Buttler, who had not played red-ball cricket in a year, partly because of his sensational form in the Indian Premier League, where he hit a tournament-record five successive half-centuries for Rajasthan Royals.

He has barely let up since, hitting 1,020 runs across all formats for England this summer at an average of 53.68, including two hundreds and nine half-centuries.

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The highlight was his maiden Test hundred against India at Trent Bridge. It came in a losing cause yet Buttler’s 106 in Nottingham felt like a breakthrough moment.

There was also an unbeaten 80 against Pakistan at Headingley, an innings that set up aseries-levellingwin for England at a time when Root’s men had gone eight Tests withoutvictory.

The man with ‘f*** it’ written at the top of his bat handle has adapted his game to the longest form after his initial spell in the Test team ended in disappointment during the series defeat against Pakistan in the UAE in late 2015.

Buttler has been one of the world’s most devastating white-ball batsmen for the past few years. Indeed, he has the fastest hundred by an England batsman in one-day cricket, when he reached the landmark in 46 balls against Pakistan in Dubai three years ago.

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Alastair Cook signed off his international career in style (Image: GETTY)

However, Buttler’s new-found maturity and restraint that has been so evident in Test cricket this summer shone through in perhaps his best performance of recent times, when he struck an unbeaten 110 in the final ODI against Australia at Old Trafford in June.

It was an innings that sealed a memorable 5-0 whitewash for an England side who were destined for defeat when they were reduced to 114-8 in their pursuit of 206.

In an age when thespecialisationof formats is gathering pace, Buttler is in a rarefied group of batsmen capable of excelling across all three versions of the game. The others include Joe Root, India captain Virat Kohli, Australia’s Steve Smith and New Zealand’s Kane Williamson. AB De Villiers was another before he retired from international cricket earlier this year.

And it is the South African who Buttler most closely resembles in terms of his devastating clean-hitting.

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A lot of media attention was on Ben Stokes after the off-field issues (Image: GETTY)

Jos Butler was the real star of the show (Image: GETTY)

De Villiers ended up batting at No4 in Test cricket and Buttler, currently a specialist No7 after England opted to put their faith in Jonny Bairstow’s wicketkeeping for this final Test against India, has the potential to move up the order.

Most importantly, though, England will hope Buttler can continue his golden run of form. After all his influence, both with the bat and as vice-captain of the ODI and Test teams, will be key to England’s chances not only this winter but in both the World Cup and Ashes next summer.

England will host both and if they are to enjoy success, Buttler’s part in it will surely be pivotal.